Impression tray



June 27, 1944. 5. J' F S 2,352,545

' IMPRESS ION TRAY Filed June 25, 1941 Patented June 27, 1944 so -;;STATES PATENT OFFIQE 1 g lmrnassion ma I p Samuel Lionel Jefferics, Gaffney, S. C. Ash-gale; tale 25, 1 94 1, Serial K923199317 1 01mm, (c 32-17) .This invention relates to impression trays for 5. use inthe practice of dentistry. 15;; Thezinvn'tionaims to provide, in a, manner ashereinafter set forth, an impression trayhaving. as the essential and underlying factors and lower traywill be fiared frc m f ront to rearpand in top plan .will be substan al y ,semi-srei 5' contour. V

E ch fifth? tr ys t9 b herein ft rre cr d to will be constructcdirom any suitable mate-- 1." features thereof, the provisions for retaining and ',holding'the various impression materials after .1 they have hardened and set in'the mouth, or

. rial, 5 pref ra ly. l t me al; 5, a fi llmili The description of each ofthe trays to be here .inafter described, will apply to thc tray in the 5 .otherwise. .5' mann,er in.Whic11...it lea ed. tha s as app The invention further aims to provide, in a tothe mouth of erson. r .manner as hereinafter set forth, an impression With reference .to Figures i to 4, the upper tray having as the essential and underlying f ac- ,impression trayshownthereby andindicatcdgen- ..tors and features thereof, the provisions for reorally at [6, inclndeslagbottom or base wall H Itaining and holding the various impression maand an,upstanding contlnuous flai fi lgiwf Jterials after they have hardened and set in'the 1.5 rises from theside andfrontedges of thcbot- 5 Imouth orotherwise, and with such provisions be- .tom- I The latter graduall y increases injw idth -in'g disposed at that face of the tray at which from front to roan. ,Therear edge [3 of bottom 5.the impression material bears against. .5 H is of ogee, curv a ture,, Theside edges of; the The. invention furtheraim's to provide, in a bottom are ,curved and, directed,inwardly from ..mann'er as hereinaftei-set forth, an impression theends of the, edge [3 to theendsof thefront L tray ,having means for arresting the bodily shift- .edge of the bottom. ,The said frontedge is ar- 11 .in'g of,theimpression material relative thereto jcuate inform and, merges at its en ds into the 'and for. coupling the same material therewith. forwardends of the side edges o f the bottom. The invention further aims to provide, in a The. bottom ofgeach orthehersinaft r referred manner as hereinafter'set forth, animpression t0..,upper .ir npression traysyvill have its ,edges i.:5.tray.,which is -simple in its construction, strong, accord, with the shape fthe 5edges referred to durable, ,com'pact,thoroughly efficient in its use, in connection withthebottom ll of the tray Ill. conveniently handled, readily assembled and 5 Thebottom His formed with an elevatedfiat 1 ..comparative1y inexpensiveto manufacture rear central portion l 4 extending forward -Embodying the aims aforesaid and others 0 the rear; ed J la po nt r a war lr IlQIlL which may hereinafter appear, the invention confront .edge of said bottom ll. The latter in- ...--.i.sists ,of the novel construction, combination and 5 .cludes a downwardly and forwardly,extending arrangement of parts as will be more specifically .frontcentral portion [5 which, at itsupperend, referred to and illustrated in the accompanying 5 merges into the forwardend of portion l The dl.awin'g;wherinare shdwnembodiments of the latter is Of substantially rectangular forrn and invention, but it is to be understood that changes, has an arcuate forward end. The portion [5 is variations and modifications may be resorted to of angle-shape in cross section forming it with which fall within the scope of the invention as a vertical rear leg l6 and a lower horizontal leg claimed. H extended forwardly from the lower end of leg In the drawing: 40 IS. The latter is of segmental contour in ver- Figure 1 is a top plan view of an upper imtical section. The bottom ll includes a pair of pression tray, in accordance with my invention. oppositely disposed side portions I8, I!) which Figure 2 is an inverted plan of the tray shown depend from the sides of the rear central porby Figure 1. tion l4 and merge into the sides of the front Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1. central portion I5. The side portions I8, l9 are of Figure 4 is a section on line 44 of Figure 1. like form and each in transverse section is of Each upper impression tray, to be hereinafter compound curvature. referred to, is of flared contour and of substan- The flange I2 forms the side walls 20, 2| and tially semi-ovoidal form. Each upper tray is the front wall 23 of the tray. The flange I2 is of closed at its sides and front and open at its top curved contour in vertical section and is directed and rear. Each upper tray gradually increases outwardly and upwardly with respect to the botin width from its front to its rear. tom H. The flange l2 has the central part of Each lower impression tray to. be hereinafter its front of reduced height, as at 24, with respect referred to will be of inverted channel shape, to the portions of the flange located adjacent said open at its bottom end and at its rear end. Each part 24. The bottom of the flange l2 merges into 3 portion M.

the side portions l8, l9 and the front central portion l of the said bottom I I. At the point of mergence of the flange 12 with the bottom ll, there is provided a continuous groove 25 which opens into the interior of the tray. The groove 25 has closed ends 26 positioned in proximity to the edge l3. The flange I 2 above and in proximity to the groove 25 is formed lengthwise thereof with a set of spaced inner endwise aligned closed end grooves 2.1 which open into the interior of the tray. The grooves 25 and 21 constitute provisions for preventing the impression material from slipping relative to the tray. The rear flat elevated central portion M of the 1 bottom II has correlated therewith a means for a coupling the impression material to the said por- .-connected to the said bottom portion l4, and it' iis shown by way of example as being detachably @connected to the tray bottom. The said means e consists of an oval shaped plate 28 seated on and of less width and less length than said bottom The marginal portion 29 through- .out, of the plate 28, is upturned to form an endlless groove 30 between the plate and said portion H4. The latter is formed with an opening 3|. *The plate 28'is provided with an opening 32 for :registry with the opening 3 l. Extending through :the registering openings SI, 32 is a removable L'holdfast device 33 for detachably'connecting the plate 28 upon the portion I4 of the tray bottom. Ihe holdfast device 33 consistsof a small headed ibolt or screw and a nut; the latter is to engage ithe lower face of portion Hi.

:rangement relative to bottom portion I4 provides for the plate overlapping and embedding in the impression-material in a manner whereby such material will be coupled to the bottom of the tray.

When separating the the impression material or modelfrom the tray, the nut of the holdfast device is removed from the bolt or screw and the plate 28 is carried, with the model and afterwards disconnected from the latter for future use.

The forward part of the bottom I l of the tray H] has secured to its lower face, an outwardly directed handle 36 consisting of a flared inner part 31 and a downwardly inclined apertured' outer part 38 which constitutes a hand grip and is of greater length than the part 31. The latter is secured to the bottom I l of the tray by the holdfast means 39.

The side portions l8, I9 of bottom II, in connection with the forward central portion 15 of said bottom, coact to'form a continuous channel 40 surrounding the raised rear central portion ll of bottom II. The channel 40 is open at each end. The ends of channel 40 are at the edge l3 of bottom H.

Preferably the grooves 25, 21, detent 34 and recess 35 will be provided by swaging the tray body and the plate.

It is to be understood that the pockets, openings and grooves referred to are to receive portions of the impression material, to retain the latter in the trays. Although, as heretofore stated, the grooves in the base wallsv and flanges preferably will be formed from swaging the material of the body of the tray, yet, if a tray is constructed of a molded body, the said grooves will be simultaneously formed in such body when the latter is molded. When the grooves are formed in the flanges by swaging the material of the tray body they will extend outwardly on both the buccal and on the labial surfaces of the tray.

What I claim is: I

In an impression tray of the type including a substantially semi-ovoidal-shaped receptacle-like body and including a base wall, said wall having the rear part of its central portion relatively flat and disposed above the remaining portion thereof; a coupling plate comprising .a shallow'cupshaped outwardly opening member, said member including a relatively flat bottom and an up standing marginal flange, said bottom contacting the central flat portion of said tray and said flange on the outer side thereof forming with the surface of said central fiat portiona substantially V-shaped shank within which the impression material is adapted to engage, securing means passing through said plate and through said rear part of the central portion of said base wall, and means other than said securing means and spaced from the latter for positioning said plate on said body comprising a detent on said plate and a socket in said body, said detent being receivable in said socket.

SAMUEL LIONEL JEFFERIES. 

